Automatic document feeder and a copying apparatus equipped with such an automatic document feeder

Abstract

An automatic document feeder and a copying apparatus, for copying the respective images of two successive documents on one copying sheet. The automatic document feeder detects whether a document fed for copying is an odd-numbered document or an even-numbered document, conveys an odd-numbered document to a first position on the contact glass, conveys an even-numbered document to a second position on the contact glass. The copying apparatus copies the image of the odd-numbered document placed at the first position on the contact glass in one half of a copying sheet, and then stores the copying sheet carrying the image in one half thereof for the next copying operation. When an even-numbered document is placed at the second position on the contact glass by the automatic document feeder after the copying operation for copying the odd-numbered document has been completed, the copying apparatus copies the image of the even-numbered document in the other half of the same copying sheet carrying the image of the odd-numbered document in one half thereof, and discharges the copying sheet.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A copying apparatus comprising: means for detecting the size of a document;   plurality of copying sheet feed means;   means for detecting the size of copying sheets accommodated in each copying sheet feed means;   means for selecting one of said copying sheet feed means which accommodates copying sheets of a size twice the document size; and   means for copying the image of a document on copying sheets fed by the selected copying sheet feed means.   
     
     
       2. A copying apparatus comprising: means for detecting the size of a document;   plurality of copying sheet feed means;   means for detecting the size of copying sheets accommodated in each copying sheet feed means;   copying magnification designating means;   means which calculates the size in which an image is to be copied, on the basis of a document size and a copying magnification;   means for selecting one of copying sheet feed means which accommodates copying sheets of a size twice a size in which an image is to be copied; and   means for copying the image of a document on a copying sheet supplied by the selected copying sheet feed means.   
     
     
       3. A copying apparatus comprising: means for detecting the size of a document;   means for designating the size of copying sheet to be used;   means for selecting a copying magnification so that the image of a document is half the designated copying sheet size; and   means which copies the image of a document in a selected copying magnification.   
     
     
       4. A copying machine comprising: image copying means capable of oerating in a first copying mode in which the image of the first document is copied in one surface of a copying sheet, and operating in a second copying mode in which the image of the second document is copied in the same surface of the copying sheet at a position differen from a position where the image of the first document is copied;   means for selecting either the first copying mode or the second copying mode;   means for detecting the size of a document to be copied;   plurality of copying sheet feed means;   means for detecting the size of copying sheets accommodated in each copying sheet feed means;   first selecting means for automatically selecting one of the copying sheet feed means which accommodates copying sheets of a size equal to the size of a document among said plurality of copying sheet feed means;   second selecting means for automatically selecting one of the copying sheet feed means which accommodates copying sheets of a size twice the size of a document; and   means which selects said first selecting means in the first copying mode, and selects said second selecting means in the second copying mode.   
     
     
       5. A copying machine comprising: image copying means capable of operating in a first copying mode in which the image of the first document is copied on one surface of a copying sheet, and operating in a second copying mode in which the image of the second document is copied on the same surface of the copying sheet at a position different from a position where the image of the first document is copied;   means for selecting either the first copying mode or the second copying mode;   means for designating a copying magnification;   means for detecting the size of a document to be copied;   means for calculating a size in which an image is to be copied, on the basis of a document size and a copying magnification;   plurality of copying sheet feed means;   means for detecting the size of copying sheets accommodated in each copying sheet feed means;   first selecting means for automatically selecting a copying sheet feed means accommodating copying sheets of a size equal to the size in which an image is to be copied among said plurality of copying sheet feed means;   second selecting means for automatically selecting a copying sheet feed means accommodating copying sheets of a size twice the size in which an image is to be copied; and   means for selecting said first selecting means in the first copying mode, and for selecting said second selecting means in the second copying mode.   
     
     
       6. A copying apparatus comprising: image copying means capable of operating in a first copying mode in which the image of the first document is copied on one surface of a copying sheet, and operating in a second copying mode in which the image of the second document is copied on the same surface of the copying sheet at a position different from a position where the image of the first document is copied;   means for selecting either the first copying mode or the second copying mode;   means for detecting the size of a document to be copied;   means for designating the size of copying sheet to be used;   first copying magnification selecting means for selecting a copying magnification in which the image of a document is copied in a size same as a designated copying sheet size;   second copying magnification selecting means for selecting a copying magnification in which the image of a document is copied in a size half a designated copying sheet size; and   control means which employs said first copying magnification selecting means in the first copying mode, and employs said second copying magnification selecting means in the second copying mode.